Quest for Speed
Discover Engineering
Youth
Handouts
Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 1: Spooling Around
Name: ________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Materials List
• Wooden spool
• Nail
• Flat washer
• Rubber bands
• Craft stick
• Nut
• Tape measure
• Calculator
• Masking tape
Procedure
1. To begin building the spool car, snap a craft stick into two pieces so that one of them is slightly shorter
than the diameter of the spool, as shown below.
2. A
ttach a size #16 rubber band to the craft stick by wrapping the rubber band around the stick and
passing the free end back through the loop.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 1: Spooling Around
3. Pass the free end of the rubber band through the hole in the center of the spool. To do this, stretch the
end around a craft stick, as shown below, then poke it through the center hole to the other side, where
you can grab it with your fingers. You must continue to hold on to the rubber band after it is through the
spool for the remaining steps.
4. While holding the rubber band with your fingers, pass the end through the hole in the center of a flat
washer, as shown below.
5. Pass the rubber band through the center of the nut.
6. Finally, pass the nail through the loop of the rubber band and let go. It should look like the picture below.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 1: Spooling Around
Completed Spool Car
7. Choose a flat surface for testing your spool car, such as the floor or a tabletop. Designate a starting line
with a piece of tape.
8. Before testing your car, predict what you think will happen to the distance and efficiency as you increase
the number of nail turns. Write your answer in the box.
9. You are now ready to test your spool car. Hold the spool in one hand and wind the nail several times,
holding the head between your thumb and forefinger and turning it clockwise as you would a dial. Once
you’re done, set the spool at the starting line and let it go. The first time the spool is wound, you will need
to turn the nail several turns to wind the rubber band enough to move the car. The rubber band will not
completely unwind when it stops moving, so the next time you start the car, fewer turns of the nail will be
necessary.
10.Now experiment with modifying your design to try to improve the car’s performance. Then test the car
again and measure the results. Record your results in the table.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 1: Spooling Around
Test
#
Nail Turns
(turns)
Distance
(inches)
Car Efficiency
(inches/turn)
Notes
Example:
10
5
10 ÷ 5 = 2
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 1: Spooling Around
Exploration Questions
1. If you could have any materials you wanted to make the spool car out of, what would you use and how
would it improve the performance of the car?
2. What would be the benefits of using a stronger rubber band?
3. Do you think a stronger rubber band could hurt the spool cars performance in any way?
4. Even with access to any materials desired, is it possible to keep improving one type of performance
without hurting the others?
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 2: Ramp-Powered Car
Name: ________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Materials List
• K’NEX® Motion and Design Set
• Tape measure
• Stopwatch
• Calculator
Engineering Design Challenge
Develop a car using the materials in the K’NEX® Motion and Design Set. Your objective is to achieve the
fastest speed over the distance specified by your instructor. You will operate the car by letting it roll down an
inclined surface.
Design Constraints
• Wheelbase must be between 3.5” and 17.0” (distance between the front and rear axles)
• Length must be between 4.5” and 21.0”
• Width must between 2.25” and 5.5”
• Maximum height is 8.0”
• No on-board power source
Testing Procedure
1. Measure and record the distance between the start and finish line.
2. Place the car at the starting line and let go.
3. Use a stopwatch to measure the time of each run and record test results in the table.
4. Keep notes about the various test-runs, such as what type of ramp was used, how rough the surface
was, anything you may have changed in the car’s design, and whether the modifications improved
performance.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 2: Ramp-Powered Car
Test
#
Distance
(inches)
Time
(seconds)
Speed
(inches/sec)
Notes
Example:
10
5
10 ÷ 5 = 2
Changed design to improve...
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3
4
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 2: Ramp-Powered Car
Exploration Questions
1. What are some factors that affected your car’s performance?
2. Did the car run at a constant speed on the ramp? What about on the flat surface? Why?
3. If a car’s speed is always changing, how are we able to calculate a single speed for a car trip?
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 2: Ramp-Powered Car
Ramp-Powered Car: Prototype Instructions (Optional)
A completed ramp-powered car is pictured below. It is not necessarily the best design possible, but it will
work fairly well. Feel free to use your own design or make improvements to this one.
Prototype of Ramp-Powered Car
1. To build the car shown, start by placing the black rubber tires onto the silver plastic hubs. You will need to
use a bit of force to get the tire to wrap around the hub. The K’NEX® Motion and Design set contains two
kinds of hubs and tires: narrow and wide. All of the photos in this activity show wide wheels.
2. Take two long, gray rods and four yellow connectors and snap them together, as shown below, to form
the side-frame rails of the car.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 2: Ramp-Powered Car
3. Now take a red rod and pass it through the center hole in the hub of one of the wheels. The two red rods
will be the “axles” of the car. Snap two tan-colored axle clips onto the red axle rod, one on each side of
the wheel. Make sure that the hub binding-tabs on the axle clips are pointing away from the silver wheel
hub, as shown below. After you snap the clips onto the axle, slide the two clips and wheel to one end of
the axle.
4. Pass the long end of the red axle through the center holes at the ends of both yellow connectors. Then
attach the second wheel and axle clips to the other end of the rod, repeating Step 3. The car should look
like the photo below.
5. Once the last axle clip is on, you can spread the two yellow connectors apart, as shown below.
Congratulations! You’ve finished one end of the frame.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 2: Ramp-Powered Car
6. Repeat Steps 3 - 5 to install the other red axle rod and pair of wheels, as shown below.
7. Finally, add some cross-braces made from two short, white bars and four red connectors (refer to the
completed car photo at the beginning). You’re all done! It’s time to test your car.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 3: Rubber-Band-Powered Car
Name: ________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Materials List
• Size #16 rubber bands
• K’NEX® Motion and Design Set
• Tape measure
• Stopwatch
• Calculator
Engineering Design Challenge
Develop a rubber-band-powered car using the materials in the K’NEX® Motion and Design Set. Your
objective, chosen by the instructor, will be one of the following: (a) travel the farthest distance, (b) attain the
fastest speed, or (c) explore the relationship between the distance from cross-brace to drive axle and the
maximum speed or distance the car travels.
Design Constraints
• Wheelbase must be between 3.5” and 17.0” (distance between the front and rear axles)
• Length must be between 4.5” and 21.0”
• Width must between 2.25” and 5.5”
• Maximum height is 8.0”
• Band-mount cross-brace rod must be 1.75” +/- 0.25” above surface of the road
• Band-mount cross-brace rod must be no less than 3.5” from the rear axle
• Powered by one size-#16 rubber band
Testing Procedure
1. Stretch the free end of the rubber band and hold it tightly against the drive axle. Continuing to hold the
rubber band, rotate the drive axle backward until the rubber band begins to overlap itself. Let go of the
rubber band and continue rotating the axle.
2. When the band is fully wound, set the car down at the starting line and let it go.
3. Record your test results in the table. Some of the items in the table may not apply to the type of testing
that you’re doing. Remember to keep notes about the various test-runs and modifications.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 3: Rubber-Band-Powered Car
Test
#
Distance
(inches)
Time
(seconds)
Speed
(inches/sec)
Crossbar to Drive
Axle (inches)
Notes
Ex:
10
2
10 ÷ 2 = 5
2
Changed design to improve...
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 3: Rubber-Band-Powered Car
Exploration Questions
1. What is the purpose of the tires and how do they work? What would happen if you didn’t have tires on
the drive wheels?
2. Why does changing the test distance affect the speed calculated for the car?
3. Do you really need the axle clips between the wheels and the yellow connectors? What would happen if
you took them out?
4. What happened when you slid the rubber-band cross-brace closer to the drive axle (Challenge C)?
5. Imagine you were an engineer and could design this car any way you wanted. How might you redesign
the car to improve its performance if you weren’t limited to the parts you have on hand?
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 3: Rubber-Band-Powered Car
Rubber-Band-Powered Car: Prototype Instructions (Optional)
These instructions assume that you have already built the ramp-powered car from Activity 2. You are going to
modify it so that it’s propelled by a rubber band.
Prototype of Rubber-Band-Powered Car
1. R
emove one of the red axles by removing the wheels and sliding it out of the yellow connectors. Notice
in the picture below that the tan axle-clip has a locking tab (see red arrow on the right) that can fit into a
hole (see red arrow on the left) in the wheel hub. This allows the drive wheels to be connected to the drive
axle so that they all turn together.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 3: Rubber-Band-Powered Car
2. T
he picture below shows one of the wheels on the red axle with the new axle-clip configuration. Note
that when the tan clip slides over, its locking tab will fit into the hole in the wheel hub. It’s important that
the tan axle-clips are NOT locked into the yellow connector because this would prevent the drive axle
from turning. Re-install the red axle after you have finished modifying it so that both drive wheels are
connected to the drive axle using the tan clips.
3. Install the rubber band by taking apart the cross-brace (red connectors and white rod) that is farthest
away from the drive axle and sliding the rubber band around it, as shown below. Note the clips on the
gray rod—they are added so that the red connector does not slide when the rubber band is wound up.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 3: Rubber-Band-Powered Car
4. Your modifications are finished. Time to wind it up! Stretch the free end of the rubber band and hold it
tightly against the drive axle. Continuing to hold the rubber band, rotate the drive axle backward until the
rubber band begins to overlap itself (see photos below). Let go of the rubber band and continue rotating
the axle. When the band is fully wound, set the car down and let it go.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
Name: ________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Materials List
• 2 Size #16 rubber bands
• 2 Brass bushings
• Propeller
• J-hook
• Safety glasses
• K’NEX® Motion and Design Set
• Tape measure
• Stopwatch
• Calculator
Engineering Design Challenge
Develop a propeller-powered car using the materials in the K’NEX® Motion and Design Set. Your objective
will be one of the following: (a) travel the farthest distance, (b) attain the fastest speed, or (c) complete the
challenge provided by your instructor.
Design Constraints
• Wheelbase must be 5.0” to 11.0” (distance between the front and rear axles)
• Must use a combination of narrow and wide wheel hubs
• Hub-only wheel designs (no tires)
• Length must be 6.5” to 13.0”
• Width must be 2.25” to 5.5”
• Maximum height is 11.0” (propeller blades can extend above this height)
• May be powered by up to two size-#16 rubber bands
• Rubber bands may be configured any way you like to attain peak performance
Testing Procedure
1. Put on your safety glasses.
2. Turn the propeller with your hand to wind the rubber band. Make sure to keep your face away from the
engine area in case the bands break.
3. To start the car, let the propeller go.
4. Record your test results in the table. Some of the items in the table may not apply to the type of testing
that you’re doing. Remember to keep notes about the various test-runs and modifications.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
Test
#
Distance
(inches)
Time
(seconds)
Speed
(in/sec)
# of Prop
Turns
Efficiency
(in/turn)
Notes
Ex:
10
2
10 ÷ 2 = 5
100
10 ÷ 100 = 0.1
Changed design to improve...
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
Exploration Questions
1. Why did your propeller work better spinning in one direction than the other?
2. Could you design a propeller that works equally well when spun in either direction? Explain.
3. What makes some rubber-band arrangements work better than others?
4. What would be one way you would improve your design if you had more time?
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
Propeller-Powered Car: Prototype Instructions (Optional)
A sample propeller car is shown below. On a smooth surface, this prototype was able to travel more than 3
feet when powered by two size-#13 rubber bands.
Prototype of Propeller-Powered Car
1. Begin by constructing the frame of the car, as shown below.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
2. Now construct the two axles. There are many ways to build a successful propeller-driven car. In the
example shown below, one axle uses small wheels and the other uses large wheels (if large wheels
are placed on the axles beneath the propeller, the propeller will sometimes strike the tires, reducing
performance). Note that the hub locking-tabs on the tan axle-clips are facing outward so that they can
spin freely around the red axle rod. For more information about how the hub locking-tabs work, refer to
Activity 3 Prototype Instructions, Steps 1 and 2.
3. Slide the two sides of the frame onto both red axles. Secure one end by snapping two silver axle-clips
onto the red axle outside of the yellow connectors, as shown below. Note that the axle with the small
wheels does not have the silver clips on it.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
4. A
dd two cross-braces to the top rails. You can choose from several kinds of connectors (two white and
two green connectors are shown below), but you must use blue rods for the crossbars.
5. Y
our base car is complete. Now you can build your propeller. Carefully study the two pictures below.
The propeller direction matters. The direction it faces will determine whether the car is pushed or pulled
when the propeller turns. Make sure you don’t screw the J-hook into the wrong side. The flatter end of
the propeller should make contact with the brass bushing. Note the curvature of the center area of the
propeller in the picture on the right. Also note that the wide bases of the two brass bushings face toward
the propeller. One bushing fits inside the center hole of the white connector.
6. Add two red connectors and four green rods, as shown below.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
7. Attach the completed propeller section to the car frame, as shown below.
8. Mount the rubber band. First, drape the band over the blue crossbar rod, as shown below.
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Youth
Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 4: Propeller-Powered Car
9. Then, pull the loose ends under the bar and pinch them together. Stretch the ends and attach them to the
J-hook.
10.Put on your safety glasses and turn the propeller with your hand. This will wind the rubber band. When
you’re ready, let the propeller go and the car will take off.
11.To increase the engine power, you may want to use two rubber bands instead of one. Hold two rubber
bands together and wrap them just as you did with the single band. Do not use more than two size-#16
rubber bands. Too many bands will rip the J-hook out of the propeller, damaging and slinging parts.
Always wear safety glasses when winding the bands and keep your face away from the engine area in
case the bands break.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 5: Balloon-Powered Car
Name: ________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Materials List
• Punch balloon
• Air pump
• K’NEX® Motion and Design Set
• Tape measure
• Stopwatch
• Calculator
Engineering Design Challenge
Develop a balloon-powered car made from the materials provided. Your objective, chosen by your instructor,
will be one of the following: (a) travel the farthest distance, (b) attain the fastest speed, (c) maximize efficiency,
or (d) design your own challenge.
Design Constraints
• Wheelbase must be a minimum of 8.0” (distance between the front and rear axles)
• Must use a combination of narrow and wide wheel hubs
• Hub-only wheel designs (no tires)
• Minimum length is 9.0”
• Minimum width is 4.5” (no maximum given)
• Minimum height is 9.0”
• All energy for movement must come from the balloon
• No more pumping is allowed once the balloon begins to press against the frame rods
Testing Procedure
1. Using the air pump, inflate the balloon while it’s confined inside the frame. Stop inflating when the balloon
pushes against the frame.
2. Pinch the balloon closed with your fingers.
3. Release your fingers when you’re ready for the car to start.
4. Record your test results in the table. Some of the items in the table may not apply to the type of testing
that you’re doing. Remember to keep notes about the various test-runs and modifications.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 5: Balloon-Powered Car
Test
#
Distance
(inches)
Time
(seconds)
Speed
(in/sec)
# of Air
Pumps
Efficiency
(in/pumps)
Notes
Ex:
10
2
10 ÷ 2 = 5
20
10 ÷ 20 = 0.5
Changed design to improve...
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 5: Balloon-Powered Car
Exploration Questions
1. Describe how a balloon produces thrust.
2. Throughout this project, you’ve explored ways of making cars move using gravity, rubber-band power,
and balloon power. Which ones worked best and why?
3. What differences did you notice between balloon power and propeller power? Which method would you
prefer if you were to design another car? Explain.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 5: Balloon-Powered Car
Balloon-Powered Car: Prototype Instructions (Optional)
1. Construct the frame of the car, as shown below.
2. N
ow build two axles. Note that the hub locking-tabs on the tan axle-clips are facing outward so that they
can spin freely around the red axle rod. For more information about how the hub-locking tabs work, refer
to Activity 3 Prototype Instructions, Steps 1 and 2.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 5: Balloon-Powered Car
3. S
lide the two sides of the frame onto both red axles. Secure one end of the frame to the large-wheel axle
by snapping two silver axle-clips onto the outside of the yellow connectors. You will not use any on the
axle with the smaller wheels.
4. Add six cross-braces, as shown below (6 blue rods with 10 red and 2 green connectors). You can choose
from several kinds of connectors, but you must use blue rods for the crossbars.
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Youth Handouts
Quest for Speed
Activity 5: Balloon-Powered Car
5. T
ie the balloon to the top cross-brace rod in the front of the car by passing the balloon through the center
of its rubber band, as shown below.
6. Now you’re ready to start the car. Using the air pump, inflate the balloon while it is confined inside the
frame. Stop inflating when the balloon pushes against the frame. Pinch the balloon closed with your
fingers and release your fingers when you’re ready to start the car.
Prototype of Balloon-Powered Car
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